Min Yan-jun,Yuan Wen-peng,Yang Dong-yuan,Dai Dong-xu,Yu Sheng-rui,Wu Guo-rong,Yang Xue-ming
The S 1 state decay dynamics of 2-hydroxypyridine following UV excitation at a wavelength range of 276.9−250.0 nm is investigated using femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging technique. Based on pump wavelength dependence of the decay dynamics, a refined decay picture is proposed. At pump wavelength of 276.9 nm, the S 1 state is depopulated through intersystem crossing to lower triplet state(s). At 264.0 nm, both intersystem crossing to lower triplet state(s) and internal conversion to the ground state are in operation. At 250.0 nm, internal conversion to the ground state becomes dominated.
The demand for scintillators with ultrafast decay times, high spatial resolutions, and high stabilities is increasing due to the development of ultrafast hard X-ray detection, hard X-ray imaging, and high-energy physics facilities. γ-CuI single crystals, which exhibit ultrafast luminescence and high stopping power for hard X-rays, hold great promise for such applications. However, slow luminescence and poor stability caused by surface iodine deficiencies hinder the practical use of γ-CuI. Herein, we treated a γ-CuI single crystal by iodine annealing and SiO2 coating and investigated its crystal structure and luminescence properties in detail. Iodine annealing significantly enhanced the near-band-edge emission of the γ-CuI crystal with an ultrafast decay time of less than 1 ns, while completely suppressing the slow luminescence. Moreover, the SiO2 film effectively prevented the oxidation and decomposition of surface iodine, leading to substantial improvement in luminescence stability. The γ-CuI crystal demonstrated an ultrahigh spatial resolution of 1.5 μm in X-ray imaging, highlighting its potential for ultrafast hard X-ray imaging applications. This study provides insight into the growth, optimization, and application of γ-CuI crystals, advancing the field of scintillator materials.